


I'll promise eternity to you

by regrettablelifedecisions



Category: NU'EST
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Fluff, Look they're in love ok, M/M, dongho is a knight, everyone else is a prince, im certified baekho trash and this is apparently how i cope
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-12 07:02:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28631436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/regrettablelifedecisions/pseuds/regrettablelifedecisions
Summary: In which all royal knight Dongho wants, is one day of peace and quiet.Alternatively a tale of four princes and their knight.
Relationships: Choi Minki | Ren/Kang Dongho | Baekho, Everyone/Everyone, Hwang Minhyun/Kang Dongho | Baekho, Kang Dongho | Baekho/Aaron Kwak | Aron, Kang Dongho | Baekho/Everyone, Kang Dongho | Baekho/Kim Jonghyun | JR
Comments: 10
Kudos: 29





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is pure self indulgent fluff and i'm not even sorry. I started writing this waaay back in May, so just imagine everyone still has their i'm in trouble hair colours. I'm also super sorry if they're all ooc, i tried my best.  
> Massive thanks to my beta who doesn't even stan nu'est but puts up with me screaming about them anyway. Title from 'Fine' by Nu'est.

Morning greeted Dongho like an ice cold bucket of water to the face.

Normally he’d slowly inch his way into consciousness, enjoying the last few moments of peace and calm before he finally forced himself to move from the warmth of his bedsheets. Unfortunately he wasn’t granted such a luxury today.

Today was  _ the _ day after all.

Dragging himself wearily from his bed, Dongho tugged on his uniform, sluggishly fitting his leather arm guards and strapping his sword and tabard to his waist. Despite still being half asleep, he took a second to give himself a quick once over in the mirror, feeling a slight spark of pride at what he saw.

As the crown prince’s personal knight, Dongho took great care in the way he presented himself. Minhyun had always said that appearance was always the first line of defence, and Dongho had taken those words to heart. He’d spent years fine tuning his body to become the perfect weapon with which to protect his prince. And the hard work had definitely paid off, thought Dongho contently, tracing his eyes up and down his reflection.

Snapping back to reality, Dongho finished getting ready. He could waste time staring mindlessly into space when the day was over. But for now, he had a job to do.

With one last glance around his peaceful (yet slightly messy) room the knight slipped through the doorway, making his way quickly and quietly to his prince’s chambers.

-

Dongho didn’t bother knocking as he entered the prince’s room. There could be nothing behind the door that he hadn’t seen before, the two of them had known each other far too long for there to be any secrets left between them.

Minhyun was standing in the window, framed by a halo of light from outside, eyes shut as he enjoyed the weak warmth of the winter sun. The light seemed to dance over his skin, highlighting his delicate features and soft smile with its gentle caress.

Dongho paused briefly, enjoying the rare sight of his prince looking so relaxed. It wasn’t often that Minhyun got these moments of peace, being crown prince of a kingdom whose king was getting physically weaker day by day didn’t exactly make for an empty work schedule.

Slightly regretfully, Dongho cleared his throat, interrupting Minhyun’s peace. It couldn’t be helped, today was an important day after all.

“Oh Dongho, there you are.” Minhyun said, seemingly unsurprised by the knight's presence (Dongho’s ears suddenly felt hot, Minhyun had probably known he was there gawking like an idiot all along.)

“Are you ready to go, your majesty?”

“Almost twenty years of friendship, and you still insist on using that ridiculous title,” sighed Minhyun, “maybe one day I’ll get it through that thick skull of yours that we’re nothing less than equals.” 

Dongho rolled his eyes, refusing to grace Minhyun with an answer. This wasn’t the first time they’d had this conversation, nor would it be the last. 

“Fine. Are you ready to go then…” Dongho paused, smirking at his prince slightly, “Minhyunnie?”

“Yah!” exclaimed Minhyun, aiming a good natured slap at his knight. “You’re feeling bold today. Let’s see if you’re still feeling like that later, once everyone else is here. You do know everyone’s arriving from their respective kingdoms today, don’t you?”

Dongho groaned at the thought.

“Please don’t remind me, my day’s going to be busy enough without their constant interruptions.” 

“Well I can’t say I blame them,” smirked Minhyun, giving his knight a once over, “When you walk around the palace looking like this, how is anyone meant to resist?” 

The prince’s eyes grew more serious as he gently squeezed Dongho’s arm. 

“You do know it’s just because they miss you though. How long’s it been seen the last time we were all together?”

“Not since the midsummer celebrations,” mused Dongho. “I do miss them too, I just wish they’d be a little… subtler in their advances.” 

“But seeing you get so flustered is half the fun,” murmured Minhyun with a sly grin. “Now come on, I’m hungry. Let’s discuss today’s plans over breakfast.”

-

After a quick meal, Minhyun dismissed Dongho, promising to see him later. Well aware of how busy the prince was today, Dongho happily agreed. At least this way he wouldn’t have to worry about getting under Minhyun’s feet.

With his schedule cleared, Dongho decided to head to the training room - extra practice was never a bad thing. It didn’t hurt that the training rooms were tucked away at the back of the palace, where he was much less likely to run into any… unwanted guests.

Happy to find that his normal space was free, Dongho wasted no time changing into some looser clothes that allowed him much greater freedom of movement, before starting to run through some basic drills. He lost himself in the repetitive movements, mind blank as he repeated the same actions over and over again.

Having sufficiently warmed up, Dongho slipped into more complicated stances, moving fluidly from one to the next, his mind fully focused on the task at hand. Even though it was just practice, the knight threw himself into it wholeheartedly, and it wasn’t long before he was out of breath and sweating from the exertion.

Dongho was concentrating so hard that he failed to notice the door creak open gently, allowing a silent figure to slip into the room. The intruder didn’t seem in a rush to make his presence known, quietly shutting the door, his eyes locked onto the swordsman in the middle of the room.

Eventually however, the man's patience seemed to run thin. The stranger cleared his throat, smirking when the slight noise caused Dongho to stumble in shock.

“I knew I’d find you in here, you’ve always been such a terrible workaholic.”

Whipping around, an odd mix of excitement, anticipation and dread settled in Dongho’s stomach at the sight of the man relaxing in the doorway.

Reigning his emotions back under control, the knight dropped into a quick bow.

“Prince Jonghyun, it’s a pleasure to see you again.”

Jonghyun let out a laugh at how stilted and awkward Dongho’s formal speech was.

“I see Minhyun hasn’t been able to rid you of those pointless manners yet. Oh well, I guess some things really _ are _ impossible, even for him.”

Dongho let out a long sigh, fighting the urge to roll his eyes at the other man's dramatics.

“Not that I don’t love your company sire, but is there a reason you’ve sought me out? I  _ was _ in the middle of something.”

Most royalty would've been angered by how flippant Dongho’s words were but Jonghyun merely grinned.

“Is missing you not reason enough? It’s been months since the midsummer ball and Minhyun has been so tied up with the imminent coronation that there’s been no time for the both of you to visit. Surely you wouldn't begrudge a lonely soul the honour of your company?”

Dongho scoffed. Jonghyun had always had a way with words. It was no surprise many knew of him as the silver tongued prince - his skills when it came to diplomacy were second to none. And whilst his pretty words would no doubt be invaluable when it came to ruling, for Dongho they were simply a pain in the ass.

Raising his eyes to the ceiling Dongho sent a silent prayer to whatever deity may have been listening, before resigning himself to his fate.

“You can stay if you want.” he muttered grudgingly, “just don’t complain if you get bored.” 

Jonghyun's smirk only widened, his eyes slowly tracing the outline of Dongho’s muscular body, drinking in his sweaty and dishevelled state.

“With a view like this, how could I possibly be bored?” Ignoring the blush blooming across Dongho’s face, Jonghyun made himself comfortable at the side of the room, clearly not planning on moving any time soon.

Not trusting himself to reply in case he said something embarrassing, Dongho tried to settle back into the sequence of movements he’d been practicing before Jonghyun’s untimely interruption. 

However, no matter how much he struggled to concentrate, his focus escaped him.

He tried to tell himself it was because he was tired, but Dongho hated lying, even if it was just to himself. Deep down he knew the cause of his turmoil was sitting about five feet away from him, currently staring at him like he was the first fall of rain after a long, hard drought.

Groaning Dongho sheathed his sword. This was pointless, he clearly wasn’t going to get anywhere like this.

“Is everything alright?” asked Jonghyun, the very picture of innocence.

Dongho didn’t buy it for a second.

“Everything’s fine.” huffed the knight, evidently frustrated. “I’m just not used to being watched like this, it’s distracting.”

It was only when a wide smirk spread across Jonghyun's face that Dongho belatedly realised he may have messed up. Damn his stupid, honest mouth.

“Distracting, hmm?” teased Jonghyun, stepping closer to Dongho who was attempting to look anywhere but at the man in front of him. “Well we can’t have that can we sweetheart.”

A hand brushed lightly against Dongho’s cheek, the younger man almost flinching at the touch. 

“Wouldn’t it be a shame if the most fearsome knight of the Hwang kingdom couldn’t train because he was… distracted.” 

Jonghyun’s finger ghosted over Dongho’s lip, hinting at something more. A promise for later. Dongho found himself unconsciously leaning into the touch, only to gasp in confusion when the contact suddenly disappeared. 

“Don’t worry Dongho,” Jonghyun said, looking amused at the knights reaction. “I’ll get out of your hair… for now.”

The prince made his way to the door, pausing for a second as he turned back to face the other man.

“I’ll be seeing you later anyway dearest,. You can rest assured this isn’t over yet.”

With one final smirk Jonghyun left the room. The door slammed shut behind him with a resounding thud, leaving a still frozen Dongho in the middle of the room. 

It would be a while before the knight was able to do anything more than stare at the spot where Jonghyun had been standing only minutes before. 

Eventually, Dongho tried to pull himself back together, he couldn’t let the prince affect him like this. Perhaps food would help? There was no way he could concentrate on training now. At least he would be safe in the kitchens, no one would come looking for him there.

-

He was wrong.

Why, oh why, did he have to be wrong? 

Stepping into the bustling kitchens, Dongho was greeted by a familiar head of short, blonde hair, deep in conversation with the head chef Joshua. 

Dongho instantly whipped back around. The prince had been facing the other direction, as long as he left now he could escape undetected.

The knight was many things, but unfortunately inconspicuous wasn’t one of them. Instead of backing out of the door, he bumped straight into another servant, arms full of silverware for the banquet tonight. Dongho could do little but stand and watch in despair as the poor man fell backwards, landing on the floor with a clatter that resonated through the kitchen.

Joshua’s companion whipped round at the noise, a gleeful smile spreading across his face at the sight of an incredibly flustered Dongho apologising to an irate servant.

Resigning himself to his fate, the younger man helped pick up the rest of the silverware, before slowly making his way over to the head chef and his companion

“Ah Dongho, as smooth as always.” said Joshua with a teasing smile, “Perfect timing too! We were actually just talking about you. Prince Aron here has been looking for you.”

Joshua’s eyes flicked between the smug grin on Arons face, and the slightly pained expression on Dongho’s. The chef fought back the urge to roll his eyes, honestly what a pair they made.

“Well, it seems like you two have a lot of catching up to do, I’ll leave you to it.” 

Dammit. Dongho had always known that behind his friendly smiles and mild manners Joshua was a horrible traitor. 

“That’s very kind of you,” replied Aron with a smile, “I hope the rest of your preparations go well.”

Joshua thanked Aron, before disappearing, no doubt to help some poor soul struggling in the bustle of the kitchen.

Turning his attention back to his companion, Dongho tried to think of a way to break the slightly awkward silence. He needn’t have worried, barely a second passed before Aron launched himself at the younger, smothering him in a tight hug.

“Dongho~ I’ve missed you so much.” Aron gasped dramatically, pretending to collapse against Dongho in shock.

“Bumping into you like this… it’s like some beautiful twist of fate.”

Dongho cringed at Aron’s dramatics. How he was the elder of the pair, he would never understand. 

“It’s good to see you too, your h-mmfh…” 

Arons hand abruptly cut off Dongho’s words, the prince’s eyes sparkling with mirth.

“I really hope the next word out of your mouth was going to be my name. It would be such a shame if you’re still using stuffy honorifics after all these years.” 

Frustrated, Dongho tore away from Aron’s grip with a groan.

“I’m just being respectful! Why can none of you understand that? It wouldn’t be right for a lowly knight like me to be seen referring to crown princes so informally in public.”

“So I’m not the first person to find you then?” mused Aron with a smirk, ignoring Dongho’s obvious frustration. “That’s a shame, I wanted to be the first. Was it Mingi? I know he’s been dying to see you.” 

Dongho sighed. Why did he even bother? Sometimes talking to Aron was like talking to a particularly childish brick wall.

“It was  _ Prince _ Jonghyun, actually,” said Dongho, placing careful emphasis on the title. “He took it upon himself to come and watch me train.”

“He watched you train?” whined Aron, “that’s not fair - I hardly ever get to see you in action.”

“You hardly see me, more like. It’s been months.” Dongho couldn’t help the bitterness that crept into his voice. As much as the elder annoyed him, he did enjoy his company. 

“I just wish Minhyun wasn’t as busy, it would be nice to see you more than once every half a year.”

“Yah, am I hearing this right?” cackled Aron gleefully. “Are you telling me, THE Kang Dongho missed me whilst I was gone. Just wait until I tell the others, they’re going to be so jealous.”

Flustered Dongho tried to deny it, but his blush spoke for itself.

“Oh you’re never hearing the end of this love,” Aron’s grin was practically wicked by now, “Good luck facing Mingi, you know how jealous he can get.”

Dongho winced at the thought,

“We could just pretend this conversation never happened?” begged the knight, “he doesn’t have to know. Anyway, I’ve missed all of you!”

“Ah but you told me first!” exclaimed Aron, fighting to hold back his laughter.

Dongho knew this was a battle he couldn’t win, Aron never could pass up a chance for mischief. The teasing glint in the prince’s eyes only confirmed his fears.

Still protesting, Dongho could only watch as Aron bowed, ghosting a kiss over the back of his hand.

“Well, it was lovely chatting, but I need to get ready now. I’ll see you later love.”

With that Aron swanned out of the room, leaving the bulky knight frozen, a still figure in the otherwise bustling kitchen.

A hand on his shoulder and a quiet chuckle bought him shuddering back to reality. 

“Anyone looking at you would've thought Prince Aron just poisoned your mother, not kissed you on the hand .” Joshua said with a pitying laugh, “You really are a mess, Dongho.” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” replied the knight stubbornly. “Clearly the heat of the kitchen is getting to your head.”

The cook merely continued to laugh at Dongho’s words, gently guiding the frazzled man to the door.

“You really are in high demand today though. Prince Aron was actually the second royal enquiring after your whereabouts - I don’t know how you do it.”

“Who was the other?” asked Dongho (although really there was only one person it could’ve been.)

“A certain prince of the Choi kingdom.” answered Joshua with a grin. “I’m surprised he hasn’t found you already, he seemed pretty determined.”

Gulping, Dongho thanked Joshua for his time and left. He’d have to be extra careful now, Mingi was a force unto himself, there really was no telling what he might do.

-

Dongho was on high alert for the rest of the afternoon, making sure to avoid all crowded places, even going so far as taking a ten minute detour just because he thought he'd seen a flash of long black hair at the end of a corridor.

By the time the sun was setting, Dongho had successfully managed to avoid any other unwanted confrontations, and the knight began to unwittingly lower his guard. After all, if Mingi was so desperately looking for him, surely he would have found him by now?

What a fool.

Having completed his final rounds of the castle for the day, Dongho was making his way back to his quarters to change for the evening when his luck finally ran out.

One second Dongho was walking down the corridor, the next he found himself pinned to the wall, cold, hard stone jutting into his back.

Reflexes kicked in as Dongho struggled against his captor, attempting to strike the stranger in the face. At the last moment, Dongho made eye contact with his assailant, the sight of soft brown eyes bringing him back to his senses. In the nick of time he redirected the punch, pointlessly hitting the air instead. After all, it wouldn’t do him any favours to punch a crown prince in the face.

Mingi (because really who else would it be?) didn’t even look phased by Dongho’s response - he’d barely flinched the entire time. 

Dongho however felt awful, instantly breaking out into a stuttered apology, even if the whole situation was really Mingi’s fault. 

“Oh my god, Mingi I’m so so sor-”

“Dongho!” cried Mingi, gleefully interrupting the elder’s frantic apologies, “I’ve been looking for you everywhere!” The prince's eyes narrowed slightly as he sent the knight a searching look. “Anyone would think you’ve been avoiding me.”

Mingi shuffled a bit closer to the trapped knight, lowering his voice so his words were only audible to the two of them.

“But that can’t be true can it? Why ever would you want to avoid little, old, defenceless me?”

Dongho almost scoffed at his words, Mingi was many things - but defenceless was not one of them.

They painted a comedic picture, the broader, more muscular guard pinned up against the wall by the prince’s lithe body. Dongho flushed even redder at the thought, it wouldn’t do much for his image if someone walked in on them right now.

Sensing Dongho’s embarrassment, Mingi smirked and closed the almost non-existent gap between them, pressing his entire chest flush against Dongho’s. 

“Is there something wrong darling? You look a little red in the face.”

“N-nothing’s wrong.” stuttered Dongho in response, valiantly trying to look anywhere but at Mingi.

“Are you sure?” whispered the devious prince, lips lightly brushing against the knight’s ear. His words caused the stronger man to visibly shiver, and Mingi had to bite back a laugh. Dongho looked and acted so tough. If only other people knew how easily he crumbled. 

“I’ve just had the most enlightening conversation with Aron,” murmured the prince as he lightly traced a finger up and down the side of Dongho’s neck. Dongho tried to keep his expression neutral, but it was clearly a battle he would lose.

Meanwhile Mingi hadn’t stopped monologuing, his voice taking on a slightly more dramatic tone. Fighting back a sigh, the knight resigned himself to the fact he wasn’t escaping anytime soon. Mingi had always been a drama queen at heart.

“There I was, innocently going about my day, minding my own business, when Aron appeared and started heartlessly bragging about how much you’d claimed to have missed him. I had to endure an eternity of his cruel taunts, talking about how you’ve been barely consolable in his absence, a mere shadow of your former self.”

Dongho was going to kill Aron. 

“But not one mention of little old me,” Mingi’s hysterics intensified, the prince gasping dramatically, and fanning himself, as he leant onto the elder as if for support. Dongho was genuinely slightly worried he was about to cry. 

“Do I really mean so little to you?” exclaimed Mingi, gripping the knight’s shirt. “Did you really forget me so quickly?”

In the blink of an eye Mingi’s dramatics morphed into something darker.

“Clearly, I didn’t leave a lasting impression, I guess I’ll have to change that.”

“Wha-” 

For the third time that day Dongho found that his words were abruptly cut off. However, this time it was Mingi’s lips stopping him from talking, and he found himself choking back words as he was kissed to within an inch of his life. Mingi was merciless in his efforts, the knight finding himself totally helpless, left no option but to allow Mingi to have his way.

Eventually Mingi had to draw back to breathe, Dongho rushing to cover the prince's mouth so he could finally speak.

“What I was  _ going  _ to say, before you rudely cut me off” interjected the knight, ignoring the prince’s muffled protests, “Was that I missed you all, not just Aron. You know he just likes to believe he’s special.” 

From behind Dongho’s hand Mingi’s struggling lessened, his eye’s softening as their playful spark was replaced by something more serious. Content that the younger man had calmed down, the knight removed his hand.

“We missed you too Dongho.” It was strange to see the prince acting so serious, especially with his rather rumpled appearance, but it wasn’t necessarily an unwelcome change. 

“I know I may come across a bit overdramatic sometimes,” (Dongho nearly rolled his eyes, now  _ that  _ was the understatement of the century) “But I do really care about you. I miss the time when we were young and reckless, before we had all these responsibilities weighing us down.” 

Dongho smiled wistfully as he thought about how things had changed. Mingi was right, it was different now.

When the five of them had first met, it had been at some diplomatic event that had been just as pointless as it was ostentatious. They were driven together by the mere fact they were the youngest people in the room. Even then, despite being too young to hold an official position, Dongho had been by Minhyun’s side. 

Initially it had been awkward, what could four princes from separate kingdoms and a serving boy possibly have in common? However, as they grew older and got to know each other better, something beautiful bloomed between the five of them. Initially a strong friendship, over time it grew into something deeper, something more complex.

Of course teenage hormones had also played a part, and Dongho still sometimes thought with equal fondness and embarrassment of rushed hidden minutes in empty store cupboards and training rooms.

However, youth couldn’t last forever. Eventually the four princes found their responsibilities growing, and soon even Mingi (whose position as a second son meant he would never inherit the throne ) found all his time occupied with lessons and important political events. 

But despite their increasingly hectic schedules, they still found time for each other in whatever way they could. And now they were here. In just a few days Minhyun was to be crowned king of the Hwang kingdom, in place of his ailing father. They may have grown up, but against all odds they hadn’t grown apart.

Sighing, Mingi leant his forehead against Dongho, the two of them standing silently in the corridor as old memories flooded through their minds. Slowly the rest of the world slipped away until it was just the two of them, alone. Dongho felt his stress melt away as he lost himself to thought, his only anchor the rhythmic sound of Mingi’s heartbeat. 

Somewhere outside a bell tolled, signifying the late hour. Snapping out of his trance, Dongho glanced out of the window, taken aback by how dark the sky had become. Sighing regretfully, he finally pushed Mingi off him, straightening up his now rumpled outfit.

“I’m sorry but I have to go, I need to get ready for tonight.” 

Mingi pouted childishly at his words, but relented none the less, stepping away from Dongho so he could leave.

“I suppose it wouldn’t be good to keep Minhyun waiting,” he sniffed haughtily. “I guess I’ll just have to find you later.” 

The knight smiled at the man's sulky demeanour, pulling him in for a final hug before he rushed off to find his prince.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> second part of whatever the heck this is - hope you enjoy!
> 
> this is trash but so am i

After all the hectic preparation leading up to it, the start of the ball almost felt anticlimactic. The masquerade marked the beginning of the week-long celebrations that lead up to Minhyun’s coronation, and it was also used as a way to greet the foreign dignitaries who had come to pay their respects to the new king. 

Dongho had to admit the castle looked amazing, sneaking surreptitious glances around the room as he trailed a few feet behind Minhyun. They had arrived early, the prince gracefully gliding across the ballroom to take his rightful place on the throne overlooking the room, allowing him the perfect view of the guests as they filed in. 

The evening was simply themed around the colour white, to match the wintery season. Personally Dongho thought the modest yet pure beauty of it perfectly complemented Minhyun’s nature. However, the decorations were anything but simple - the Hwangs never missed an opportunity to showcase their wealth.

In the centre of the room hung an immense chandelier that sent fractals of light dancing around the room, catching on the quartz decorations that practically dripped from the ceiling. The sparkling gems were also interwoven into pristine silk drapery that hung from the walls, perfectly framing the room and naturally guiding the eye towards the large dance floor, already populated by a few dancers despite the early hour, who swirled around the room like snowflakes carried in an icy gust of wind.

Minhyun looked like molten starlight as he moved across the room, a hush spreading through the guests as they turned to watch him past. The jewels that embellished his long cloak caught the light as he walked, glinting like icicles on a sunny day. The ruffled silk shirt and intricate embroidered silver jacket only added to his regal image.

In contrast to Minhyun’s quiet grace, Dongho felt constrained by his outfit. His embellished white jacket was tailored to be tight, restricting his movement and making the entire ensemble annoyingly unpractical. How was he meant to protect Minhyun if he could barely lift a sword to defend himself? 

When Dongho had mentioned his concerns to Minhyun, the prince had simply smirked before shrugging. 

“The things you sacrifice for the sake of fashion,” his eyes flashed hungrily as he gave Dongho a once over. “With you looking like that, it’ll be me worrying about fending off the unwanted attraction you attract, not the other way round.”

Flustered, Dongho had had no choice but to drop the subject. Honestly his prince could be too much sometimes. 

Once the prince was comfortably seated on his throne, the floodgates opened. One by one different royals entered the room, their names being announced at the door before they made their way to the throne to formally greet Minhyun.

Dongho lingered at the side of the throne, his presence unobtrusive, but a constant reminder that whilst this was an evening for celebration, the Hwang heir was still protected. 

Minhyun accepted all the well wishers gratefully, but Dongho found his attention waning. Unable to concentrate on the thinly veiled flirtatious words slipping from greedy, obscure princesses’ tongues, Dongho allowed his eyes to lazily flicker around the room. The people he was waiting for hadn’t shown their faces yet. Honestly, trust them to be fashionably late.

Just as Dongho was starting to wonder whether they’d got lost on their way to the ballroom, whispering broke out throughout the room. Curiosity getting the better of him, Dongho shifted slightly closer to a group of nearby noblewomen, allowing him to catch part of the hushed conversation that was exchanged between them.

“- the three princes, heirs to the throne of three of the most powerful kingdoms, Kwak, Kim and Choi.”

One of the maidens let out a dreamy sigh.

“And all of them bachelors too. No one in all the kingdoms, except our fair prince, can rival them for beauty and wealth. I envy whichever fair maiden ends up winning their affections.”

Dongho rolled his eyes. Of  _ course _ it was about them. The palace rumour mill had been enthralled by the three princes for as long as he could remember. Even though they ruled over neighbouring kingdoms, rumours and guesses about which maidens they favoured constantly circled the court. The knight almost laughed, if only they knew the truth.

Whilst it was true there was someone all three princes favoured, it wouldn’t be exactly fitting to describe himself as a maiden.

Turning his gaze to the doorway, Dongho already knew what he would see. Jonghyun, Aron and Mingi stood side by side, framed in the doorway. They were dressed from head to toe in white and silver, similar to Minhyun, and Dongho himself. In fact if he looked closer it almost looked like the outfits were decorated with the same patterns that currently wound their ways across Dongho’s and Minhyun’s back. The knight almost blushed at the realisation - there was no way that was a coincidence.

“The delegations from the Kim, Kwak and Choi kingdoms,” declared the herald stationed at the door. “Princes Jonghyun, Aron and Mingii.”

Each of the royals bowed deeply at their respective introductions, before the trio made their way across the room to greet Minhyun personally. 

The initial surprise of their appearance waned as most people's attention returned to their companions or to the dance floor, allowing the princes to approach the throne in what felt like relative privacy.

As the trio drew closer Dongho tried to look anywhere but at the men themselves. However, as valiantly as he attempted to feign disinterest, his eyes were unconsciously drawn towards the three men. After so many years the princes had become the centre of Dongho’s world - and there was little he could do to resist that fact. 

Once they’d reached the throne, Jonghyun led the other two into a sweeping bow. After all, they were here to pay their respects to the soon to be king of the Hwang kingdom.

Quirking an eyebrow at the men in front of him, Minhyun’s expression settled into a comfortable smirk.

“So you’ve finally deigned to grace us with your presence, your highnesses? How very kind of you. No doubt it was Prince Jonghyun’s fault you’re all so late - he's always been the tardy one.”

Dongho’s eyes narrowed at Minhyun’s accusatory tone, but instead of taking offence, Jonghyun merely laughed at the others' words.

“We thought we were doing you a favour, your highness. It wouldn’t do for us to outshine you at your own coronation. We thought by turning up late you could revel in being the centre of attention for a bit longer, after all - we all know how enjoyable you find it.”

It took all of Dongho’s self restraint to prevent a pained groan slipping past his lips. Of the five of them, Minhyun and Jonghyun had always had the strangest relationship. Whilst Ren and Aron conversed using soft words and extravagant compliments, Jonghyun and Minhyun had always preferred speaking with barbed insults and petty taunts. It wasn’t surprising most people thought the pair couldn’t stand each other, but Dongho knew it was just their own weird way of displaying affection. 

However, as Dongho watched Jonghyun and Minhyun’s conversation devolve into what could only be described as a politely worded pissing match, he couldn’t help but wish that the two of them would reign it in a bit when they were in public. 

Distracted by the two prince’s antics, Dongho didn’t notice Mingi quietly sidle up to him until he was standing right next to the guard.

“Wha-” 

Dongho’s question was cut off by Mingi’s gloved hand pressing lightly against his face.

“Sssh, none of that darling, we wouldn’t want to disturb the love birds would we?” whispered Mingi, jerking his head towards where the Minhyun and Jonghyun were  _ still _ throwing thinly veiled insults at each other. Aron stood to the side watching, his eyes twinkling with concealed amusement.

Shaking his head in feigned annoyance, Mingi turned his attention back to the flustered guard in front of him. 

“I simply wanted to ask the most beautiful man in the room whether he’d allow me the honour of dancing with him.”

Before Dongho could process Mingi’s request, the shorter prince had removed his hand and was already dragging the guard towards the dance floor. 

Too late, the other prince’s noticed what was going on, but they could do little but stare as Mingi began to lead Dongho round the room in an elegant gavotte, a medium paced dance that required considerable coordination and skill. 

Dongho blushed as people began to take note of the pair's appearance on the dance floor, and whispers started to spread through the room. Noticing his reaction, Mingi only pulled him closer, laughing at the knight’s increasingly flustered face.

“Embarrassed, darling?” the prince teased.

“Everyone’s looking at us.” mumbled Dongho torn between hiding his face in Mingi’s hair, and watching his feet so he didn’t trip and embarrass them both. Dancing most definitely hadn’t been included in his training as a soldier.

“Oh they’re not looking at us,” smirked Mingi, leaning even closer to whisper in the knight's ear. “They're looking at you.”

Before Dongho’s brain even had time to comprehend Mingi’s words, he found himself being passed onto a different person - this time coming face to face with Aron, a similar infuriating smirk present on his face.

“Having fun Dongho?”

The knight levelled him with an unamused stare.

“Am I to be passed around like some helpless maiden all night?” 

Aron merely giggled at his response, pulling the knight close as they spun across the dance floor.

“Why, does it bother you? We all know you enjoy the attention really, love. Don’t try and hide it.” 

Blushing, Dongho fought the urge to bury his head in the crook of Aron’s neck. How was this his life? 

Laughing at Dongho’s embarrassment, the prince continued to gracefully lead the knight around the room. Despite himself, the knight gradually found himself relaxing, sinking further into Aron’s hold. It was easy to forget about all the whispers and glances he was receiving when Aron’s arms were wrapped so securely round him.

Eventually the song drew to a close, with both men sinking into graceful bows as was customary. Dongho had enjoyed the dance, but it was high time he returned to his prince’s side.

“I should go, his highness may need me.” 

“Minhyun’s doing just fine,” replied Aron, a teasing smile present on his face. “He can survive without you for a few minutes more, plenty of time for another dance.”

“I really shouldn’t. I’ve been away from him for too long already.”

“Well then, if you must I suppose.” Although the prince’s words were sad, Dongho knew he understood - and Aron made little attempt to stop him as he pulled away.

“What’s this I hear?” interrupted a soft voice from behind. “Leaving already sweetheart?”

Dongho groaned. Of  _ course _ it was Jonghyun.

“You're not trying to run away from me, are you dearest?” smirked the prince, gently pulling Dongho away from Aron and into his own arms.

“Afterall, you owe me a dance.”

The knight was helpless to resist as Jonghyun led him back out into the throngs of dancing people. The music that filled the hall had shifted from a light airy tune into something darker and more intense.

In response to the change in atmosphere, Jonghyun pulled Baekho flush against his body, the knight letting out a surprised gasp.

“Your highness! Surely this is inappropriate!” 

“You never normally have a problem being this close to me, sweetheart.” smirked Jonghyun. 

“Normally we’re not in a room full of nobility,  _ sweetheart _ .” replied Dongho snarkily. 

Jonghyun shot the knight a knowing smile.

“Don’t pretend you don’t love all the attention dearest. You can complain as much as you like, but we all know how you really feel.”

As much as the knight wanted to protest, he knew he was fighting a losing battle. It was much easier to just forget about seemingly inconsequential things such as rank and title, and to just enjoy dancing with one of the men he loved.

The music filling the room began to swell into a crescendo, signifying that the song was reaching its end. As if under some kind of spell Dongho and Jonghyun moved to match the increasing tempo of the piece, not breaking eye contact for a single second.

The music was almost at its climax, and the pair were still swirling round each other, the gap between the two gradually closing as they got closer, and closer, and closer still - until their faces were mere centimetres apart.

Lips almost brushing, the rest of the room faded into the background as Jonghyun leant in slightly, the hand that moved to cup Dongho’s face making the prince's intention clear. 

Some small part of Dongho’s consciousness that wasn’t fully focussed on the prince in front of him, registered a gentle hand on his shoulder, attempting to slowly push him away from Jonghyun. The light touch brought the knight crashing back to reality, snapping him out of the bubble where only he and Jonghyun existed and no one else mattered. 

Jonghyun however, didn’t seem surprised by the interruption, slowly stepping away from Dongho and dropping into a deep bow.

“Your highness, what brings you out onto the dance floor? Did you finally get bored of sitting on your throne and looking pretty?” 

Minhyun raised an eyebrow at Jonghyun’s teasing grin. 

“I was watching you from the throne and I couldn’t help but notice that my trusted knight looked a bit… flustered. So naturally I had to come and rescue him from the ruffian that was electing such a dramatic response.”

“Is that so?” drawled Jonghyun, stepping closer to the other prince. “How very noble of you to come dashing to his rescue.”

“I’m glad you think so.” smirked Minhyun, refusing to back away, if anything moving closer to the shorter man.

Dongho didn’t even try to hide his eye roll this time. Honestly the pair of them were ridiculous, why did he bother.

Jonghyun seemed to notice his frustration, grinning wickedly as he leant forward to whisper something in Minhyun’s ear. The grin spread to Minhyun’s face as he turned round to face his knight.

“Dongho, I’ve decided I would like to dance.”

Letting out a resigned sigh Dongho began to scan the dance floor for any suitable partners.

“If that’s your wish sir, I’m sure one of the nearby nobles would be more than willing to dance with y-”

A hand round Dongho’s wrist cut the guard off mid sentence. 

“No Dongho,” said Minhyun slowly, as if he was explaining something to a particularly troublesome young child, “I want to dance with  _ you _ .”

“But your highness,” spluttered Dongho in surprise, “that would be highly irregular. You’d be exposed and vulnerable, and your other guards wouldn’t be able to help, not to mention that I’d be unable to properly protect you. Also what would people think if they saw you with a lowly knight? I’m sure I can find someone much more appropriate...”

The Dongho’s ramblings slowly faded into nothingness as he suddenly became very conscious of both Jonghyun and Minhyun watching him with fond, but pitying expressions.

“ _ Relax _ Dongho.” said Minhyun, lightly resting a hand on the man’s shoulder.

“This ball is in my honour, and I’ll be damned if I don’t at least enjoy it. Besides, why should I bother searching for a dance partner when I have the perfect man right here.”

Dongho’s brain froze at Minhyun’s words, and the poor knight could do little to resist as the soon to be king swept him away onto the dance floor.

Watching from the side, Jonghyun couldn’t help but smirk. Flustering Dongho never lost its appeal, even after all this time knowing each other.

Meanwhile, Dongho was doing his very best to sink into the ballroom floor and never return, as Minhyun confidently led him through the starting steps of some form of the volta - the most intimate of court dances. 

Honestly he was surprised that no one had noticed the crown prince yet, but by this point in the evening most people were so deep in their champagne glasses that they wouldn’t notice the roof collapsing on their heads.

“Have you had fun today?” muttered Minhyun, as they circled the dance floor at a stately pace. 

Dongho knew Minhyun was talking about the ball, yet he couldn’t help but recall the events of the day. Although the princes were a pain, it had been a long time since he’d felt this wanted, this cherished. It wasn’t like he didn’t have friends in the palace, and he’d always have Minhyun, but the crown prince had been busy lately often leaving Dongho feeling lonely, purposeless even.

But today, Dongho had felt alive. 

A small smile graced the knight’s face as he allowed himself to sink slightly deeper into his prince's arms, knowing he could always trust the other man to catch him. 

“It has been nice to see everyone again, I missed them.”

“I did too,” admitted Minhyun quietly, his smile growing melancholy. “It feels like the gaps between us reuniting only grow longer as time passes.”

Dongho knew what he meant. Although they’d all known how difficult a relationship like this may be to maintain, recently the impacts of not seeing each other that often had really started to hit home. 

But against all odds the five of them had managed. Although written conversation was a poor substitute for the real thing, they’d made do - and for Dongho it had been infinitely easier to be living in such close proximity to Minhyun.

Deep in thought, Dongho hadn’t realised that Minhyun was slowly leading him from the dance floor towards three familiar figures lurking the corner, intently watching the pair.

They were greeted with softly spoken words and gentle embraces. Minhyun took a second to bask in the presence of his lovers, before speaking softly.

“It’s getting late, I’m sure no one would notice if we were to disappear.”

“Are you sure?” asked Dongho in surprise, “this entire event is to celebrate  _ your _ coronation.”

“I know Dongho, and as this is my night to celebrate I’d like to spend it with the only people in this room I actually care about.”

Despite the fake retching noises coming from Mingi at Minhyun’s words, it was clear all of them felt the same. Without any hassle they made their way quietly through the throngs of people. Between the late hour and the empty wine glasses, no one gave a second thought to the five figures slipping out of the room.

\---

It was a matter of mere minutes for the group to reach Minhyun’s chambers, silently slipping through the deserted palace halls, giggling carelessly like the carefree teenagers they’d once been. 

Once inside they wasted no time in shedding their restrictive formal wear. Whilst heavily embellished clothing may look stunning, it wasn’t exactly designed with the wearer’s comfort in mind. Dongho had scarcely rid himself of his heavily embroidered jacket when a strong pair of hands pinned him to Minhyun’s bed.

“Now, where were we before we got interrupted?” smirked Jonghyun (because really who else could it be.) He traced a light finger over Dongho’s upper lip, relishing the way the muscular man shivered at his touch.

“Oh that’s right, I remember now.” 

Without further warning, Jonghyun finally closed the gap between them, covering Dongho’s lips with his own.

The other three men could only watch with a poorly concealed mix of envy and lust as Dongho relaxed fully into the kiss, letting out quiet whines as he was slowly overcome by Jonghyun’s passion.

Despite the constant teasing and bickering that Jonghyun enjoyed with the other men, he had missed them too. It was hard, having to spend large periods of time away from the men you love, and Jonghyun had always believed that actions spoke louder than words. It was because of this he poured everything into his kiss with Dongho, trying to desperately convey his longing for the other man and his companions.

Eventually the others couldn’t stand it anymore.

It was Aron that broke first, moving towards the bed so he could push Jonghyun off Dongho, ignoring the other prince’s complaints. The knight could do little but lie back onto Minhyun’s bed and watch, thoroughly winded.

Aron smirked at the guards thoroughly rumpled state, leaning forward to run a hand over his creased shirt.

“How can you look this dishevelled when we’ve only just started love?”

Unlike Jonghyun, Aron kissed gently, taking his time to slowly, but thoroughly map out every inch of Dongho’s mouth. 

Dongho melted into the familiar feeling of Aron’s lips, barely reacting as he felt the bed dip slightly as Mingi joined them. 

As Aron drew away for a breath, Mingi tilted Dongho’s face towards his own, claiming the knight’s lips for his own. Aron let out a bemused huff, but seemed pretty content to watch Mingi leisurely pick Dongho apart, teasing quiet moans out of the helpless guard. In the background Dongho could also make out the familiar sound of Jonghyun and Minhyun bickering, however before long it was abruptly stopped - no doubt they had both found a different way to occupy their mouths.

Eventually Mingi seemed fully sated, drawing back from Dongho to admire his swollen lips and flushed complexion. 

Noticing that Mingi was done, Jonghyun pulled himself away from Minhyun’s lips, before sauntering across the room to join his other three lovers on the bed.

“I’m not sure my bed’s designed to hold five grown men.” Minhyun said wryly. The bastard didn’t even look surprised, Dongho would bet his life that the four of them had planned this, leaving the ball early so that they could spend this time together. Why did he love these idiots again?

Mingi simply rolled his eyes at Minhyun’s words, before yanking the soon to be king down to join them. Sighing in defeat, Minhyun rested his face on Dongho’s chest, taking the time to admire how beautiful the man looked when his mind wasn’t running a mile a minute, worrying that behind every corner lay a new threat to his prince’s life. Not to say that Dongho wasn’t beautiful in those moments too, the level of devotion his guard bestowed on him wasn’t a gift to be scoffed at.

But there was something different about him when he lay spread out across Minhyun’s bed, surrounded by their other lovers, who each looked equally beautiful and ethereal. It was as if they had been plucked straight out of some romantic painting created by a long dead artist, an unreal quality surrounded them, thickening the air as if they were moving through honey.

Minhyun didn’t know how he’d been lucky enough to find not one, but four other men who filled up the empty spaces in his heart. However, as he leant in to finally place his own kiss on Dongho’s plush lips he couldn’t help but revel in his luck. Whatever the world threw at them, as long as they had each other they’d be just fine. 

Unbeknownst to Minhyun, his knight’s thoughts were running along similar lines. Rarely had Dongho felt this cherished, this loved, and he found that he couldn’t stop himself smiling fondly into Minhyun’s kiss, much to the prince's own amusement.

Dongho knew that come the morning, the princes would be busy with various state affairs, and within a few days they’d all have to return home to their respective kingdoms, leaving him and Minhyun alone again. But for now, they had each other, and that was enough.

Contently Dongho burrowed his face into the crook of Minhyun’s neck, taking a few deep breaths before he finally succumbed to sleep’s sweet embrace.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed! comments/kudos are massively appreciated <3


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